A senior official censured the Netherlands' "unconstructive" decision to expel two Iranian Embassy staff, adding that the country reserves the right to reciprocate.
The Foreign Ministry in Tehran at the weekend summoned the Dutch ambassador to protest the "unfriendly" move, the ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said in a statement. He did not say when the meeting with the envoy took place.
The Dutch Intelligence service AIVD said on Friday that the Netherlands has expelled two persons accredited to the Iranian diplomatic mission. It did not provide further information, Reuters reported.
A European government official and a western intelligence source said the expulsions occurred two months ago. Dutch state broadcaster NOS said the expulsions took place on June 7.
Mutual Respect
"The Islamic Republic of Iran always seeks to maintain and expand relations with all countries based on goodwill and mutual respect," Qasemi said, adding that the deportation of the two Iranians is "illogical" and lacks legal basis.
"We expect [Dutch] officials to stop leveling false and unjustified accusations against others and instead fulfill their international commitments to arrest and try terrorists, for whom even red notice has been issued by Interpol," he noted.
The official called on the government in the Netherlands to explain its sheltering of terrorists affiliated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization—a banned Iranian opposition group — which have the blood of Iranians on their hands.
Enemies' Plot
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that "all these arrests and expulsions are part of our enemies' attempts to harm efforts to salvage the nuclear deal."
The unnamed official was referring to the multinational deal signed in 2015, under which sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
Iran held talks with other world powers in the Austrian capital Vienna on Friday to keep the deal alive after the United States pulled out in May.
Arrests
Belgium said earlier this month that it had arrested two Belgians of Iranian origin suspected of plotting to bomb an MKO meeting near Paris.
It also said it had requested the extradition of an Austria-based Iranian diplomat held in Germany and a man of Iranian origin in France in connection with the alleged Paris plot, according to Reuters.
Iran said it had nothing to do with the plot described by Belgian authorities, which Tehran called a "sinister false flag ploy", and said it was ready to work with all concerned parties to get to the bottom of it.
MKO Members
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said at the time that the detainees arrested by Belgian officials were members of the MKO and that Tehran is prepared to provide the necessary documents to clarify the issue.
Tasnim News Agency recently published photos which it said prove that two of the detainees are known members of the US-backed terrorist organization.
